The Petersen Automotive Museum is hitting rewind this summer with “Totally Awesome! Cars and Culture of the ’80s and ’90s.” Set to open on June 7, the new exhibit marks the museum’s first large-scale retrospective dedicated entirely to the iconic period’s stylistic innovations and cultural impact, according to museum officials in a press release.
Located in the Mullin Grand Salon, “Totally Awesome! Cars and Culture of the ‘80s and ‘90s” will celebrate the vehicles and aesthetics of the ‘80s and ‘90s with a curated collection of concept cars, production models, motorcycles and memorable vehicles from film and television. The exhibit will also feature interactive elements, including video games and technology that strongly influenced the era.
The Impact of the ‘80s & ‘90s on Design & Styling
The Petersen Museum says the ‘80s and ’90s saw significant design shifts with the transition to computer-aided design and the emergence of Japanese automakers as global leaders. Features such as digital dashboards, turbocharging and futuristic styling became prominent. At the same time, pop culture phenomena like “Back to the Future,” “Knight Rider” and “Wayne’s World” transformed cars into iconic movie symbols on wheels.
- 1996 Vector M12
- 1995 McLaren F1
- 1995 Nissan NISMO GT-R LM Road Car
- 1991 Koenig C62
- 1981 DeLorean DMC-12 “Time Machine” used in “Back to the Future”
- 1984 Pac-Man Rod
- 1985 Lamborghini Countach 5000S
- 1985 Audi Sport Quattro Group B rally car
- 1986 Chevrolet Corvette Indy concept
- 1987 Buick GNX, the first GNX ever built
- 1988 Cizeta V16T
- 1989 Lamborghini LM002
- 1998 Volkswagen Beetle featured in “Austin Powers”
“This exhibit celebrates the cars people drove and dreamed of driving in the ‘80s and ‘90s. From high-performance vehicles and pop culture icons to synth soundtracks and oversized shoulder pads, this exhibit is nostalgia on overdrive,” said Terry L. Karges, executive director of the Petersen Automotive Museum. “We can’t wait for visitors to experience this vibrant celebration of an era that redefined the road and pop culture.”
“Totally Awesome! Cars and Culture of the ’80s and ’90s” opens on June 7 and will be on display through April 2026.